The rapid increase in the number of burglaries and trespasses has fueled a growing demand for adequate protection against break-ins. Because traditional locks and deadbolts can easily be circumvented, they are largely ineffective against determined burglars and vandals. Remotely monitored security systems typically provide intrusion protection by constantly monitoring the security status of a property. In a remotely monitored security system, sensors are strategically placed throughout the home or business to detect potential break-ins. If the sensors detect a breach of entry, or movement within the premises, the security system independently transmits an alert to a remote monitoring center. Security personnel located at the remote monitoring center may then respond with appropriate action, such as notifying individuals listed on an emergency contact list or dispatching the police or fire department. This type of constantly monitored security system offers a great deal of security and peace of mind to a property owner with minimal owner involvement.
Similarly, computer network owners would appreciate the peace of mind offered by security systems that remotely monitor their networks for “break-ins.” Like the property owner who suffers from break-ins by burglars and vandals, computer network owners experience similar types of “break-ins” by computer trespassers known as “hackers.” As global computer networks such as the Internet and its underlying technologies have become increasingly familiar, hackers have acquired unprecedented opportunities to gain unauthorized access to data, misappropriate sensitive material, destroy or corrupt important files, make unauthorized use of computer resources, interfere with the intended use of computer resources, etc. As experience has shown, the realm of cyberspace—like the realm of real property—has its share of criminals, resulting in a similar demand for adequate protection against “break-ins.”
Traditionally, network owners have utilized firewalls to shield their data and resources from the potential ravages of hackers. In essence, a “firewall” is an electronic device or programmed computer system that functions to regulate the flow of data between two networks. All communications that flow between the networks in either direction must pass through the firewall; otherwise, unwanted non-complying communications may circumvent security. A firewall, which is typically located at a network gateway server, selectively permits the communications to pass from one network to the other. Thus, a firewall acts as a single point of entry to a network where all traffic may be audited, authorized, and authenticated.
Traditional firewalls, however, suffer from serious drawbacks. For example, they generally require extensive monitoring by a skilled individual. That individual must determine whether communications that have failed firewall authentication are attacks upon the network or merely false alarms. In most situations, skilled support personnel must be on-site to perform these tasks. Moreover, the support personnel must analyze each potential attack to determine whether the current firewall protection is adequate or whether it requires fine-tuning. Such determinations can be difficult even for trained technicians. Untrained individuals and small businesses often cannot perform these tasks themselves, and also may not be able to afford the expense of hiring trained on-site personnel.
Another drawback of traditional network firewalls is that many firewalls are expensive and require extensive technical resources for setup and configuration. While larger organizations often have management information systems (MIS) personnel dedicated to installing and configuring the organization's firewalls and other network equipment, smaller organizations and individuals may be unable to perform such tasks. Configuring a firewall can often be a daunting task, even for a trained technician. Despite these drawbacks and the increased occurrence of computer network break-ins, prior to the present invention the peace of mind offered by remotely monitored security systems in the real property world does not exist for computer network owners.
Therefore, in light of these problems, there is a need for methods and systems for remotely monitoring communication devices, such as firewalls, for security threats or breaches with little or no end user involvement. There is a further need for methods and systems that can respond to potential security breaches at the communication device without end user intervention. There is an additional need for the ability to remotely configure such communication devices to make them operative, again with little or no end user involvement.